The Old School Sandwich That Once Made Oysters An Everyday Luxury

Oysters may be seen as something of a luxury food these days –- you'll find whole guides breaking down how to buy and serve those delicious bivalves. But once upon a time in the not-so-distant past, oysters were a plentiful and (get this) cheap shellfish whose popularity spanned from coast to coast. Yes, back when oysters were a humble dish being championed by the likes of Mark Twain, there were dishes matching their certifiably un-lofty status.

One of these meals may be a little more expensive than it used to be, but it still sounds just as enticing. The oyster club sandwich is very similar to a BLT, except instead of bacon, you have fried oysters. The crispy fried morsels of seafood are an absolute dream on a bed of crunchy lettuce and juicy tomato, all embedded in a soft bun, making this sandwich worthy of returning to lunch and dinner tables. Even if oysters run quite a bit higher on the market than they used to — increasing from a couple of dollars per bushel to a whopping $100 – this sandwich seems well worth it.

Even though oysters used to be a much more proletarian ingredient, that doesn't mean you should serve them with just anything you have lying around. And if the drink pairings for raw oysters are anything to go by, then you'll want to choose specific ingredients to make sure your oyster sandwich shines. This was known back in the early 1900s, too, when this oyster club was really at its peak in popularity, which is why this sandwich differs from a regular club or BLT in a couple of crucial ways.

The most noticeable feature of the oyster club sandwich is the tangy sauce that you make for it. It's really nothing more than a homemade horseradish mayo, but it's exactly what your buttery fried oysters need. Horseradish works wonders for seafood, and it works especially well with fried seafood. Whether combined with mayo or thrown into a homemade cocktail sauce, this helps your fried oysters stand out in your sandwich. Oysters may not be the everyday ingredients they once were, but much like a certain creamy oyster stew, this is one vintage dish that definitely deserves a comeback.